Former UW-Madison student, Alec Shiva, sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexual assault
He will face 18 months in jail and three years of probation
On Friday, former UW student, Alec Shiva, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the sexual assault of a friend in Sellery Hall last November.
According the Wisconsin State Journal, Shiva plead guilty to multiple charges, including second-degree sexual assault, strangulation, battery, fourth-degree sexual assault and false imprisonment in July. However, the second-degree sexual assault charge is open for potential dismissal once Shiva finishes his 18 months in prison and three years of supervision.
According to a criminal complaint, Shiva took a drug similar to LSD, AL-LAD, and then went with his friend back to his dorm room. Shiva then pushed his friend onto the bed, locked the door and covered her neck, nose and mouth with his hands. He said, "I'm going to rape you now, is that OK?"
After the incident, Shiva was expelled from UW-Madison. Judge William Hanrahan gave Shiva more jail time than either the prosecutor or the defense attorney requested.
"I think it's reasonable to expect that when you batter a woman, when you hold her against her will, when you strangle her, when you sexually assault her, that you go to prison, and that's where you're going," Hanrahan said.
According to Shiva's lawyer, Robert Hurley, Shiva struggled with mental illness, and was using marijuana and AL-LAD to self medicate. Hurley claimed putting Shiva in jail would inhibit his progress in improving his mental health, but Hanarahan thought the seriousness of the crime warranted jail time.
"Campus sexual assault is not a junior crime. It is a very serious, big-league crime of which people will be held accountable. It's your expectation, it's my expectation and it's the expectation of the community that you go to prison," said Hanrahan.
Shiva apologized for his actions.
"I'm here because of the terrible choices I made, and I apologize for having to appear," Shiva said.